Ages of Darkness 2

Introduction

AoD2 – a mod based on RTW/BI – starts in 527 A.D. – the year in which Justinian became Emperor. Rome has fallen many years ago. However, the Roman Empire in the east is well prepared, its economy is still strong and the army is powerful.

Is it possible that ‘New Rome’ will rule over the Mare Nostrum again or will the inevitable war bring it into a final decline?

Description

The year 476 A.D. is generally accepted as the formal date which saw the end of the Roman Empire in the West.

In that year, Orestes refused the request of Germanic mercenaries in his service for lands in Italy. The dissatisfied mercenaries, led by Odovacer, revolted and deposed the last Western Emperor, Romulus Augustus. This event has traditionally been considered as the Fall of the Western Empire. As the Western Empire declined in during the 5th Century, the richer Eastern Roman Empire would be protected from much of the attendant destruction – and in the mid 6th Century, under the Emperor Justinian, it would re-conquer Italy and parts of Illyria from the Ostrogoths, North Africa from the Vandals and southern Hispania from the Visigoths.

The re-conquest of southern Hispania was somewhat ephemeral but North Africa served the Romans for another century with parts of Italy for another five centuries, and parts of Illyria even longer.

527 A.D. Justinian’s reign is marked by the ambitious renovation imperii – or ‘restoration of the empire’. This ambition was expressed in the partial recovery of the territories of the Western Roman Empire, including the City of Rome itself. A still more resonant aspect of his legacy was the uniform re-writing of Roman Law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of Civil Law in many modern states.

His reign also marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture while his building programme yielded such masterpieces as the church of Hagia Sophia, which was to be the centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church for many centuries.

Features

Ages of Darkness 2 offer an authentic unit roster – the result of many years of research – for all factions within the mod. You will become part of that exciting period.

The Roman player will prepare the economy and the troops for an expensive adventure in the West. However, the Roman player must also be prepared for a challenge in the East.

Playing one of the Western civilised ‘barbarians’ offers several features also. You might attempt to establish an empire after the Roman model or alternatively travel in a different direction.

Playing the Sassanid Empire is also a difficult task – your enemies are standing around your country and are only waiting on the right moment to invade the rich satrápēs.

• A mod still under construction based on RTW/BI
• A full conversion
• Offers dozens of customised settlement layouts (no clone settlements anymore)
• New music tracks
• Many new 3D buildings for the tactical view
• A new unit roster
• A brand new building tech tree
• A new strat-map including new textures
• New ancillaries and traits

. . . and much more exciting elements!

Factions

• Imperivm Romanvm
• Regnvm Tvringorvm
• Persarmenia
• Regnvm Hirae
• Britanni
• Regnvm Francorvm
• Hvnni
• Regnvm Gepidorvm
• Rex Regvm
• Saxones
• Regnvm Vandalorvm et Alanorvm
• Regnvm Visigothorvm
• Scoti
• Regnvm Italiae et Gothorvm
• Avari
• Langobardi
• Regnvm Mavrorvm et Romanorvm
• Regnvm Bvrgvndionvm
• Regnvm Sveborvm

The Team

Naughteous Maximus research, advisor

SeniorBatavianHorse reading and correcting errors, english translations

Joar portraits

Wundai 3D building reconstructions (strat map and tactical view)

Thor the Bassist advisor

William the Silent research, hist.events

Apple makes brand new music tracks

constantius research, advisor

empio unit maker

jermagon research, 2D art

Pompeius Magnus mod-leader, coordination, coding, 2D work, responsible for the mod concept, research

History

Ages of Darkness 2 – as the name implies – is the second Ages of Darkness mod. AoD1 was made and finally realised by the former team-leader, Arbaces. AoD1 was a re-built version of Barbarian Invasion: TW.

Included Mods

Ages of Darkness 2 is not released yet so as of this moment it is not possible to give a detailed list of all the included minor mods and add-ons. However, it is expected that when completed 90% of the content will be original work by the Team – that is, the Map, the 3D buildings, the music and the Unit-making. Not to mention the new City layouts and textures.

Pictures